Going green is what’s hot right now, but just like the world–it’s a concept we want to last. At my university, DePaul in Chicago, they’ve just recently installed several more new water bottle refilling stations. Some can argue that these stations aren’t necessary–with the city having tight controls regarding water filtration, people can refill their water bottles from tap and be perfectly safe. Others argue that water refilling stations discourage buying water bottles and thus, have a good impact on the environment.

Loyola University, a college not too far from mine, has vowed to ban selling water bottles on campus in 2013 as part of an initiative to go green. While water conservation is important there are plenty of other ways to help support the earth while going about your classes or city life. I’ve suggested below some additional ways to help make your city/school a bit more energy-efficient and greener.

Urban Farming – Community gardens in the city are a growing part of neighborhoods that allows residents to cultivate local fruits and vegetables while using unused plots of land to do so. Some building in cities also grow certain vegetation on the tops of buildings in a process called “green roof” to help reduce the urban heat island effect.

Solar panels and wind turbines – Schools or buildings that want to reduce the cost of their energy and are in a spot where there is plenty of room for some airy draft and light should seriously consider installing solar panels and/or wind turbines. While the cost of installing these mechanisms may seem a bit irksome, in the long run, it can save schools and companies thousands of dollars in energy which can be put to programs to encourage the arts or into helping to fund student grants and scholarships.

Recycling – I know it’s been said and done. We’ve learned about it in elementary school and then in middle school, but it doesn’t change the fact that if we haven’t practiced it growing up, it’s really hard to get into it. It’s easy to want to throw away that plastic bottle into a garbage can nearby rather than holding onto it until you see a recycling bin, but it’s important to remember that every effort helps. The lifespan of man-made materials in a dump is atrocious, and if you want to keep your campus clean, doing your part can really help.

Educate – Learn yourself and help other people learn. This is probably the most crucial of any other thing you can do to help the planet, save endangered species, and help push back global warming. Join what organizations you can, but if you don’t show those who are uneducated about environmental sustainability than you can only accomplish so much. Now, I don’t mean this to be some kind of PSA or anything, but wouldn’t it be a shame if a cute animal like this became extinct?